Advocating for the Era Proposition of Enjoying Exploration, Shanghai College Entrance Examination Essay Review | Hu Genlin, Researcher at Pudong Institute of Education and Development: Based on People's Growth and Imagining the World | Curiosity | Researcher
The unified cultural examination for the enrollment of ordinary universities in Shanghai in 2023 will be held from June 7th to 9th. The Chinese composition questions for the 2023 Shanghai College Entrance Examination are as follows:
Is a person willing to explore unfamiliar worlds solely out of curiosity? Please write an article to discuss your understanding and thoughts.
Requirement: Write your own questions; Not less than 800 words.
The Shanghai college entrance examination essay questions stand out among numerous national college entrance examination essay questions, which are eye-catching. It continues the consistent Shanghai style, which is simple, open, inclusive, and atmospheric, close to life and candidates, paying attention to social development and the characteristics of the times, and has a large space for thinking. It attaches great importance to cultivating students' independent thinking ability, and has set an example for practicing the "dual new" curriculum reform concept.
First, stick to the bottom line of "examination composition"
Looking at multiple sets of national college entrance examination essay questions, many of them have materials that are too long, often ranging from one to two hundred words, some as long as five to six hundred words, and there is a certain difficulty in reading comprehension, which means that the first thing to be tested in writing is reading comprehension; There are also specialized fields involved, some in the legal field, some in the poetry field, and some in the psychology field. Writing becomes a specialized subject of knowledge, or it should be based on it. And for Shanghai essay questions, taking an essay test is like taking an essay test, adhering to the consistent principle of "light materials". The main materials are extremely concise, with a total of about 37 words of punctuation. No obstacles are set for the examinee to review the questions, and the examinee can quickly grasp the key words in the materials without easily deviating from the topic.
Second, use the question-and-answer structure to mobilize students to accumulate
The proposition in the Shanghai college entrance examination can be based on technological progress, exploring the interrelationship between technology and humanities, as well as the responsibility and role of contemporary youth in social development, and exploring how young people actively participate in social development and progress.
Compared to essay questions such as "Evaluating Others' Lives" in 2016, "Prediction" in 2017, "Needed" in 2018, "The Sedimentation of Time and the Value of Things" in 2021, and "Questioning and Conclusion" in 2022, "Is a Person Willing to Explore a Strange World Just Because of Curiosity" is a question that candidates can answer "Yes" or "No", and the essay question is a question answering structure. Answer "yes" to define the connotation of "curiosity" and focus on discussing its function and value; Answer "No" and provide other factors such as "sense of achievement", "patriotism", "sense of responsibility", etc. Define the connotations of these factors and clarify their functions and values. This essay question has a relatively open question and answer structure, which is beneficial for candidates to fully mobilize their accumulation and write it down.
Third, speculation is still speculation.
"Speculation" is a hot topic in today's society, and its value in cultivating students' thinking qualities goes without saying. As far as the writer is concerned, "speculation" is reflected in thinking activities such as analysis, reasoning, and judgment, as well as the ability to distinguish and analyze the situation, category, and reason of things. It is a basic ability of qualified social citizens. As for the finished product of writing, speculation is reflected in certain characteristics of the thinking content of argumentative writing, such as the organization, richness, meticulousness, profoundness, and innovation of thinking.
If a candidate gives a positive answer to the question and answer structure in an essay, it is necessary to define "curiosity"; If a negative answer is given, believing that a person is willing to explore unfamiliar worlds, in addition to curiosity, there are also factors such as a sense of achievement, patriotism, and responsibility. It is necessary to clarify the connotation of the selected factors in order to establish a common platform for discussion and communication with readers. In addition, there are several relationships implied in the question: willingness and coercion, active exploration and passive acceptance, unfamiliar world and known world, unfamiliar world and unknown world, individual behavior of a person and current group behavior, etc., which can be extended for dialectical thinking to explore other reasonable possibilities beyond curiosity.
Overall, this year's Shanghai college entrance examination essay is based on a person's growth - the most indispensable aspect of a person's life is actively exploring unfamiliar worlds, focusing on oneself, growth, and seeking knowledge. This proposition has something to say for most candidates, but the depth of understanding will determine the quality of the essay.